Having been the driving force behind a move which secured the club’s future, Peter Boyle has now been handed the reins at Newmarket RFC.

When the former Newmarket player, who took a break from rugby to pursue his interests in hockey and rowing, returned as a coach seven years ago, he noticed the club’s colts section was caught in a downward spiral.

In fact, by the time he managed to reinstate the colts team – of which he was made head coach – last summer, there had not been one an active one at the club for some five years.

A year, and Boyle’s efforts in making sure there is a conveyor belt of young talent at the club once have been rewarded by being made the new director of rugby at Elizabeth Avenue.

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The Level 2 RFU coach – whose spells as a hockey player and rower saw him play for Newmarket Hockey Club and row for Xpress Rowing Club – also had a spell coaching in Premiership side Leicester Tigers’ DPP Academy.

“I did a season at Leicester two years ago and it was a real learning curve – learning what the elite clubs are looking at in terms of junior development,” he said. “The biggest thing I took away from it is they look at work ethic and willingless to learn just as much as talent.

“That’s something I hope to bring to this role. Playing hockey and rugby has also given me a broader overview rather than a closed mind, and there’s plenty of crossovers between the sports in terms of fitness and junior development.”

Newmarket were relegated after finishing bottom of London 3 (Eastern Counties) last season, and while Boyle feels stabilising in Eastern Counties 1 West is most important, he isn’t ruling out a bid to bounce straight back.

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“After the season we’ve just had it would be good to just get back on firm footing,” he added. “But there’s a massive sense of optimism, and I’m confident that we’re going to have a successful season.”

Also keeping it in the family is new head coach Martyn Wall, who has two sons playing in the junior section. The former solider is a Level 3 qualified fitness instructor and has coached in youth rugby for the last five years.

Newmarket’s opening league game under the new regime will be a home derby against Cottenham Renegades tomorrow.

* St Neots RFC will be hosting a special club day tomorrow, which will begin with their colts teams being in action from 11am. This will be followed in the afternoon by the newly-promoted first team making their Midlands 3 East (South) bow against Bourne at 3pm, while the 2s take on Mildenhall.